PIETERSBURG - The Executive Director of Absa, Dr Steven Booysen, said that Absa is committed to the fight against poverty.

He was one of the speakers during the presentation of vehicles to the Maratapelo Project of Ga-Chuene and Hi-Shine Project of Thohoyandou during a ceremony in Pietersburg last Wednesday.

During the event, Booysen stated that the Absa Foundation and Community Development and Social Investment arm receive an anual 2% of the Absa group's declared dividends to fund its activities. The mission of the Absa foundation is to establish partnerships by providing financial and other resources to disadvantaged communities to ensure their sustainable development.

Since 1994, the foundation has invested over R64,4 million in community upliftment projects countrywide.

Absa shows that children who have attended a pre-school programme are better equipped for formal education and less likely to repeat in their first year of schooling. "This forms the basis of our focus on early childhood development," he stated.

He further said that Absa recognised the importance of training teachers in Maths, Science and Technology for the country's economic future. There was a pleasing improvement in the matric pass rate to over 60% in 2001. The Maths pass rate remained considerably lower and the number of African learners with Mathematics on Higher grade in matric represents only 5% of the total number of learners who wrote Mathematics.

He said it is estimated that four teachers in educationally disadvantaged schools are underqualified in Mathematics Education. "Through the Absa focus on teacher training, in the area of Mathematics, Science and Technology, Absa aims to address the lack of skilled educators and resources in the area," he said.

Limpopo Province Premier Ngoako Ramatlhodi said the Hi-Shine producers Co-operative in Thohoyandou was an excellent example of a project that grew from humble beginnings in 1999 and provides employment opportunities that have a ripple effect on the communities, eventually bringing benefits to more than 500 people.